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About this game

Synopsis

Dead cells puts you in control of a failed alchemic experiment trying to figure out what's happening on a sprawling, ever-changing and seemingly Cursed island. Tough but fair combat, responsive controls, challenging foes, permadeath and of course, the emergency panic roll to get you out of trouble, make for a demanding, visceral and cathartic action game.

Downloadable Contents (DLC)

Gamer Reviews

Critic Reviews

30 Reviews

8.47

GameSpot

9.00

Daniel Starkey — Aug 06, 2018

It stalls progress in the mid-game a bit and can lead to a feeling of grinding your wheels. Besides that, though, Dead Cells is a phenomenal effort to blend together some very disparate genres into a tight, cohesive whole. It's one of the better examples of how to remix ideas without losing their individual strengths.

Handsome Phantom

8.00

Dustin Furman — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells is a mashup of recent gaming trends that feels and plays great. It can be extremely challenging and frustrating with its combination of roguelike and soulslike natures. That challenge will feel like a strength to some players, and a glaring fault to others. Its variety of weapons and play styles change things up and can keep it fresh, but be prepared for a long haul of what can feel like repetitive grinding when it comes to unlocking more.

Shacknews

9.00

Chris Jarrard — Aug 07, 2018

I’m not a big Metroidvania guy, but Dead Cells managed to conjure up the same feelings I had when I played Super Mario World, Portal, and Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. It isn’t perfect, but no game is. It evokes feelings that remind me why I fell in love with video games in the first place. It is the video game equivalent of getting your back scratched while you take a dump. I give Dead Cells my highest possible recommendation. 9/10 prison poop flush resurrections

Gaming Bolt

7.00

John Cantees — Aug 06, 2018

All in all, Dead Cells gets plenty of things right and does a very nice job of linking together two different philosophies to create an organic extension of them. Dead Cells gives fans of metroidvania and rogue-lite games what they will generally expect from this game, and even a bit more with slick combat and an extremely intuitive progression system.

Video Gamer

8.00

Josh Wise — Aug 06, 2018

In drawing from such rarefied company, Dead Cells lacks originality, but the game's true merit, along with its biggest weakness, lies in the perfection of its execution. Motion Twin has proven that the cells of the game's makeup are far from dead, but it's haunted by cells of a different kind – the shards of its design locked away in a series of established chambers.

Destructoid

9.00

Chris Carter — Aug 06, 2018

Motion Twin thought of everything because Dead Cells records every parameter you can think of. Minute stats, playtime, progress, number of times you've killed certain enemies -- it even keeps track of your current run's time (hello speedrunners!). When I finally finished my first full run my heart was pounding.

Video Chums

9.10

Tyler Hall — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells is undoubtedly one of the best games I've played all year. It implements both roguelike and Metroidvania elements divinely and features smooth and exciting combat with controls that will leave you aching for just one more run.

IGN

9.50

Brandin Tyrrel — Aug 10, 2018

Dead Cells is rewarding in its flexibility in a way few games are. Each easily digestible run through its beautifully detailed and shifting levels instills a feeling of discovery and familiarity. It goads you to push the limits of your ability, and mercilessly crushes you when you get too comfortable.

GamesBeat

9.80

Jeff Grubb — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells is a masterpiece. It is the marriage and apotheosis of decades of Metroidvania design and the surging popularity of difficult Roguelike games. It is exquisite in all ways. It looks phenomenal. It plays like a dream. It makes you want to keep coming back even when you fail.

Easy Allies

PS Lifestyle

7.00

Jeremy Winslow — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells may not shift the genre’s trajectory or implement roguelike mechanics in any new or inventive way, but it remains a consistently exciting and thrilling experience, even when you’ve seen that rapier for the fourth or fifth time. It’s one of those games that’s a joy to play, but even more importantly, a joy to watch because it teaches you the fundamental truth about roguelikes (and maybe life as a whole): let go.

EGM Now

9.50

Evan Slead — Aug 06, 2018

At first glance, Dead Cells might seem like another overhyped Metroidvania-style platformer trying to break into the stuffed platformer genre, but it’s actually worthy of all its praise. Motion Twin’s impeccable implementation of roguelike elements into a classic 2D exploration game is the key ingredient that makes it all work, and the impressive controls don’t hurt either.

Game Informer

9.00

Andrew Reiner — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells is one of the more approachable and rewarding roguelikes I’ve encountered. Dying is never fun in games of this ilk, but the well-designed reward loop softens that blow and bolsters all subsequent runs, making the experience more about exploration and time committed than just player skill.

Push Square

9.00

Liam Croft — Aug 06, 2018

Dead Cells has raised the bar for the rogue-lite genre going forward. A combination of astounding combat mechanics, an unfathomable amount of weapon variety, and a spectacular art style had us coming back for second helpings, while an array of enemies made sure we always had something new to dispose of. Dead Cells has delivered in every way imaginable, making it one of the PS4’s very best.

Game Reactor

9.00

Leevi Rantala — Aug 10, 2018

Simply put, Dead Cells blew us away with its bleak world and relentless combat. The mechanics work very well together, and the whole package feels polished and balanced. Sure you have to start over time and time again, but for us, that wasn't a negative. Every new run might offer a blueprint to a new and exotic weapon or item, gear which can help during later tries.

Metro.co.uk

8.00

GameCentral — Aug 08, 2018

We just wish an extra effort had been made to move away from iteration and into something truly unique. Developer Motion Twin are clearly highly talented, but we hope their next game makes a clear break from imitating other people’s work and becomes something you really haven’t seen before.

Cubed3

9.00

Michael Keener — Aug 11, 2018

Dead Cells surpasses expectations regarding gameplay and destroys the developmental cap for pixel art games. It not only reinvents a genre that has seen little diversity in the last decade, it does so in a way that encourages everyone to invest time to improve and progress. The balance between permanent upgrades and complete wipe-out upon death is perfect, as it will never feel too discouraging to reset due to the optimism that the next run will see a further dive into the world.

CGMagazine

9.00

Lane Martin — Aug 13, 2018

The same could be said about the music. The score is wonderful and evocative of the desolation surrounding you and the epic battles, but all of this is overshadowed by tight, fun gameplay. I can’t tell you how many times I have told myself that this run is the last one tonight, and that I really need to get to bed, only to follow it with one more final run. After all, I started with that great ice bow.

PS Universe

9.50

John-Paul Jones — Aug 06, 2018

The best roguelike of this generation and a bonafide Game of the Year contender, Dead Cells is simply beyond peer and utterly, utterly essential for anyone that owns a black plastic box stuffed with silicon that has 'PS4' scrawled upon it.